Hair drier



s m m A w w HAIR DRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATI'DRNEYB Y T. W. WATKINS mm DRIER Filed Oct. 2:5, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

THOMAS W. WATKINS,

5 R mm m wa I A H 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 23, 1946 ATI'D R N EYE when the patron Patented July 6, 1948 mm nama Thomas W. Watkins, Washington, D. 0., assignor Incorporated, a corporato Beauty Research,

tion of Delaware Application October 23, 1948, Serial No. 705,060 3 Claims. (01. 34-80) This invention relates to a hair dryer or hair drying system, which is adapted to dry hair by the use of dry air instead of using hot, moist air, as is the present method.

An object of the invention is to provide a hair dryer having chemical means located therein that will absorb all the moisture from the air, leaving a dry air for the drying of the hair. Another object of the invention is to provide a hair dryer having a, headpiece into which dry air is forced, emitting the moisture laden air therefrom to be dried and then returned to the headpiece.

Heating elements may be used with the dryer to speed the process of drying the hair, but they are not necessary, and they are to be used only is in a hurry and desires a speedy hair dressing.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists of the novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the headpiece forming a part of the embodiment of the invention, with the air tubes broken away;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the same;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the headpiece;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the air drying cabinet;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a reduced sectional view through the air drying chemical and chamber therefor;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the control valve and Figure 9 is a sectional view of the gear reducing train for the actuation of the control valve shown in Figure 8.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral It] indicates the headpiece which is substantially shaped to fit a person's head Ii. The headpiece 10 comprises an outer shell I2 which is provided with top side and rear tubular outlets l3 to which flexible hose I are connected in the usual manner. The marginal edge of the outer shell is provided with a seat to receive the inner shell l8, and by snapping the shell 16 in the seat IE, it is retained in the outer shell I2. I

The shell I 6 has a projection ll thereon which spaces the shell i6 from the shell l2, and forms air chambers l8 and I9 respectively, which comcation means between the chambers l8, l9 and 2|,

and the interior of the headpiece for a purpose to be later explained.

Outwardly of the seat I 5, the shell l2 has a tubular gasket 23 secured thereto, which has a drawstring 24 therein, so that when the drawstring is tightened and knotted as in Figural, the gasket will provide an airtight seal between the person's head I! and headpiece l0.

Associated for use with the headpiece is the air .drying apparatus 25 comprising the outer shell or housing 26, which is cylindrical in crosssection, having a flat closed bottom 21, which is adapted to rest on the top 28 of the storage housing 28 which is also circular in cross-section to conform to the shape of the housing 26. Extending upwardly from the top 28 of the housing 28 is an annular flange 30, which engages the lower end of the housing 26 to retain it in posi-' tion on the storage housing 29. The storage housing 29 is divided centrally thereof with a transverse portion 3! which divides the housing into storage compartments 32 and 33 respectively for a purpose to be later described, and each compartment is provided with a, door, not shown, to gain access thereto. Caster wheels 34 are mounted on the bottom 35 of the housing 29 so that the apparatus may be easily moved over the floor. The housing 26 has a curved top 36 provided with central openings 31, through which the flexible hose [4 extends into the interior of the housing 26.

Below the curved top 36, the housing 26 is provided with a transverse partition 38 which is provided with upstanding tubular inlets or outlets 33, there being eight in number, arranged in groups of four on opposite sides of the center of the partition 38.

There are eight inlets or outlets 33, since the hose I8 is divided at its end interiorly oi' the housing 26 into branches 40, which are connected to the inlets or outlets 39 as shown in Figure 5.

Secured to the inner wall of the housing 26, below the partition 38 is the annular angle iron track H which is adapted to receive and rotatably mount the outer marginal edge of the rotary disc-shaped valve 42 thereon.

The valve 42 has the central opening 43 for mounting the valve on the driven shaft 44, and a short arcuate shaped port 45 to coincide with the inner pairs of inlets and outlets 99, and a longer arcuate shaped port 46 to coincide with the outer pairs of inlets and outlets 39. The ports 45 and 46 are curved in reverse relation to each other to properly aline the ports with the inlets and outlets 39.

The shaft 44 has a gear 41 secured thereto, which meshes with the train of reduction gears 48 which in turn engage and mesh with a gear 49 on the drive shaft 50 of the electric motor 51. The gears .41 and 49, and the reduction gears 46 are all mounted in the gear housing 52 formed integral with the end plate 53 of the motor and lubrication is supplied to the housing 52 for the lubrication of the ears.

Brackets 54 secured to the inner surface of the housing 26 and the casing of the motor 5| support the motor-in the housing 26 so that the shaft 44 is in vertical relation to the horizontal plate of the valve 42.

A toggle switch 55 mounted for access exteriorly of the housing 26 is connected by a cable 56 to the motor 5| for controlling the operation thereof. A fan 51 is mounted on the end of the shaft 50 of the motor 5| by a screw 58, and operation of the motor controls the rotation of the fan and the slower rotation of the valve 42.

Secured to the inner surface of the housing 26 is a funnel-shaped partition 59 which communicates with one set of four air inlets and outlets 39, and with a circular partition 60 which is positioned below the fan 51. The partition 59 has cutout ears 6| for securing the partition 59 to thepartition 60, and alined passageways 62 and 63 permit communication between the partitions.

Arranged at the lower end of the partition 60 is an annular angle iron support 64 which supports a ring 65 thereon, which carries the circular shaped chemical means 66, which may be silica gel or any other moisture absorbing chemical means available.

A door 61 on the housing 26 permits access to the interior thereof for the replacing of the chemical as desired. The support 64 may also carry on its lower surface, an electric heating medium 68 which can be used to heat the air with the apparatus 25 if desired.

Air is drawn by suction through the medium of the fan to be forced outwardly of the housing 26 through the hose [4, into the headpiece l0, and air leaving the headpiece ID will return through the hose 14 into the housing, to be recirculated in the housing, and curved deflectors 69 and T0, at the bottom of the housing 26, secured to the inner surface of the housing and the upper surface of the bottom 21 aid in the circulation of the air within the housing 26.

In operation, the motor is energized to control the operation of the fan 51, and valve 42. With the fan operating, air is forced through one pair of each set of four inlets and outlets 39 when the ports 45 and 46 coincide with these inlets and outlets, and the remaining pairs will be closed. Upon rotation of the valve 42, the closed pairs will be opened and the opened pairs closed. Thus air is alternately fed into and out of the chambers l8, l9 and 2|. Air entering the headpiece will have the moisture absorbed therefrom by the chemical 65, and moisture laden air returning from the head will be redried to be returned to the headpiece, the moisture being caused by the moistened head of the person on whom the piece is placed.

The chemical will be replaced when it has absorbed moisture to its full capacity and refills may be stored in the compartments 32 and 33.

It is believed that the operation and construction of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, an air dryer apparatus and a headpiece to be placed on a human head, means for connecting said headpiece to said apparatus so air may be forced from said apparatus into said headpiece, chemical means in said apparatus for absorbing moisture from said air, a transverse partition in said apparatus, a plurality of upstanding tubular air inlets and outlets formed on the upper surface of said partition, the means for connecting said headpiece to said apparatus being connected to said outlets, a funnel shaped partition in said apparatus below said transverse partition, a circular shaped partition in said apparatus below said transverse partition and parallel with said funnel shaped partition, passages in said partition forming a communicating way between said partition to control the flow of air in said apparatus, air deflectors in said a aratus below said partitions to aid in directing the air through said funnel shaped and said circular shaped partitions, and means in said apparatus for circulating said air.

2. The invention as in claim 1 wherein rotating valve means is provided in said apparatus, arcuate shaped ports in said valve means in spaced relation to each other, said ports being adapted to coincide alternately with the inlets and outlets in said transverse partition to alter nately force dry air through the outlets into said means for connecting said headpiece to said apparatus and for returning air from said headpiece to said apparatus through said inlets.

3. The invention as in claim 1 whereby said headpiece is divided into air receiving chambers.

THOMAS W. WATKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 870,546 Cooke Nov. 12, 1907 1,339,510 Hoffman May 11, 1920 1,775,704 Suter Sept. 16, 1930 2,008,864 Hamilton July 23, 1935 2,040,268 Orton May 12, 1936 2,043,721 Warwick June 9, 1936 2,083,732 Moore et al June 15, 1937 2,190,168 Armistead Feb. 13, 1940 2,278,854 Hunsicker Apr. 7, 1942 

